Page 12 - Jammu And Kashmir

Resigning from Cong in support of Azad was blunder: Ex J&K DyCM Tara Chand

Resigning from the Congress in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad was a "blunder", former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief Minister Tara Chand said on Saturday - two days after he along with former minister Manohar Lal Sharma and former legislator Balwan Singh were expelled from the Azad-led Democratic Azad Party (DAP). More than 100 office bearers and founding members of the DAP announced their resignation from the party in support of the three leaders, who decided to reach out to the people before taking a decision on their next course of action. Chand, however, said they will remain secular till their last breath and would have no objection in joining the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra when it enters Jammu and Kashmir. "The decision of the DAP to expel us without any reason or justification came as a big surprise to us. Today, we feel that our decision to resign from the Congress in support of Azad was a blunder," Chand, flanked by the leaders and activists, told reporters here. He

Slight respite from cold conditions in Kashmir; weather to remain dry

There was a slight respite in cold conditions in the Kashmir Valley as the minimum temperature improved at most places, officials said on Friday. The meteorological department said the weather is likely to remain mainly dry for the next two-three days. The minimum temperature in Srinagar city, which recorded so far its lowest of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius Wednesday night, settled at minus 4.8 degrees Celsius Thursday night, the officials said. They said Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 6.8 degrees Celsius Wednesday night. The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in frontier Kupwara district settled at minus 5.1 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, the officials said. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.8 degrees ..

J&K Police busts narcotics module in Kupwara, 5 cops among 17 arrested

Five cops were among 17 persons arrested as a major narcotics smuggling module, originating from Pakistan, was busted in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Friday. "In one of its biggest successes against drug smuggling and peddling in the district, Police has arrested 17 persons, including five policemen, a political activist, a contractor and a shopkeeper from different areas of the districts of Kupwara and Baramulla, unearthing another narcotics smuggling module originating from Pakistan," a police spokesman said. He said while working relentlessly to identify and act against the drug peddlers active in the north Kashmir district, police zeroed in on some drug peddlers active in Kupwara town and its adjoining areas. "On a tip-off, one Mohammad Waseem Najar -- a poultry shop owner and a resident of Darzipura, Kupwara, was arrested with some quantity of narcotics from his residential house," the spokesman said. After preliminary investigations, Najar admitte

Srinagar freezes at minus 5.5 degrees C, coldest in this season so far

The 40-day long period of harsh winter cold, called the 'Chillai Kalan' in local parlance, started on a frozen note for the people in J&K's Srinagar city who faced the coldest night of this season so far on Thursday at minus 5.5 degree Celsius as the minimum temperature.

Those supporting terror ecosystem will face action: J&K L-G Manoj Sinha

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday that those supporting the 'terror ecosystem' will face action.

Jammu & Kashmir tops scheme to assist microenterprises, shows govt data

Under the central sector scheme notified in 2008, 62,808 jobs were created by 7,851 assisted projects in Jammu & Kashmir till November 30 this year

We want to address concentration risk in our home ground: J&K Bank chief

In a Q&A, Baldev Prakash dwells on the lender's plan to bring down NPAs and raise Rs 500 cr in equity by the end of FY23

J&K approves rehabilitation policy for Children in Street Situation

Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, accorded its approval to the Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation (CiSS)

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeks discussion in parliament on Jammu-Kashmir

Congress' Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday sought time for a detailed discussion on Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of the ongoing exodus of Kashmiri Pandits taking place from the valley due to targeted terror attacks.Speaking in the lower House, Chowdhury said, "Today, Kashmiri Pandits are leaving Kashmir. Terrorists preparing lists of names of Kashmiri Pandits to target them.""In this situation, a detailed discussion should be held on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir in the House," he added.On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Parliament that nine Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the Kashmir Valley from 2020 to 2022.Among the nine, four Kashmiri Pandits including a person belonging to the Kashmiri Rajput community were killed in 2022, four in 2021, and one in 2020, mentions data shared in the Rajya Sabha by Rai in a written reply to Congress MP Rajmani Patel.The government has a policy of "zero tolerance against ...

Terror incidents in J-K down by 168% under Modi govt: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said that "terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir decreased by 168 per cent" since the Modi government came to power and "Left Wing Extremism incidents were down by over 265 per cent" since 2015. Underlining that the Modi government has a "zero tolerance policy towards terrorism," Thakur said, "the government undertook decisive actions which yielded definitive results." "Surgical strikes in 2016 were in response to the Uri attack. Balakot Air strikes in 2019 were in response to the Pulwama bombing, so all these decisive actions yielded definitive results," Thakur told reporters here. He said since 2014, violence due to insurgency has come down by 80 per cent, civilian deaths decreased by 89 per cent and 6,000 militants have surrendered. "Terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir have reduced by 168 per cent under the Modi government and the conviction rate in terror financing cases is over 94 per cent," he said. While the Left Wing Extremism incid

Over 15000 posts filled in J&K govt departments in 3 years: SSB chairman

More than 15,000 vacancies in various government departments were filled in three years while the selection process for 8,000 more was in progress, Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (SSB) chairman Rajesh Sharma said. He said court litigation by aggrieved candidates is one of the major factors for the delay in the recruitment process. "Against last year's figure of 9,300, this year the SSB filled 4500 posts in various government departments and 3,400 among them are class-IV posts. A total of 1,500 posts were filled up in the year 2020," Sharma told PTI here. He said the candidates selected for the class-IV posts under phase two were handed over appointment letters at special 'Rozgar melas' presided by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar and Chief Secretary Arun K Mehta in Jammu recently. Under the first phase, more than 5,000 deserving candidates were given appointment letters last year after the government mandated the Jammu and Kashmir SSB to make recommendations for ...

J&K agrees on increasing privileges of representatives of local bodies

Soon, apart from providing supervisory vehicles to the councillors, their security will also be increased, according to sources in the intelligence agencies

80 projects worth Rs 406 crore completed under AMRUT Mission in J&K

The objective of the project was to develop infrastructure within cities such as water supply, security, drainage, green spaces, parks and non-motorised urban transport

J&K Lt Guv announces Rs 5 lakh for kin of locals killed in Rajouri firing

Two locals were killed in a firing incident outside an Army camp in Rajouri on Friday

J&K BJP holds protests against Bilawal Bhutto's remarks on PM Modi

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest here on Saturday against Pakistan Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto over his personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP workers raised slogans against Bhutto and demanded an apology from him. The protest was taken out from the party's office in Jawahar Nagar area here. "This march is part of the country-wide protests by BJP against Bhutto's shameless comments against our beloved prime minister. This protest is against Pakistan which is a terror state," party's Kashmir media incharge, Manzoor Ahmad, told reporters. The party said the protests will continue till Bhutto tenders an apology. "This is a protest against the Pakistan government. We appeal it to hang Bhutto and until he apologies to the people of India, protests will continue," party activist Mohammad Yusuf Dar said. Bhutto made the comments following India's External Affairs minister S Jaishankar's sharp attack on Pakistan over its support to terrorism at the United

All services in J&K to go online by Jan 15, says Chief Secretary

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Friday impressed upon all the offices to make online all the services provided by them by January 15 next year, an official statement said

AJKPC opposes preponement of panchayat polls, seeks 2-year extension

An organisation representing panches and sarpanches in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday opposed any move to prepone the panchayat elections and sought two-year extension for existing panchayats in the Union Territory. The Jammu and Kashmir State Election Commission (SEC) had on Monday issued its schedule for revision of the panchayat electoral rolls in the UT. All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) president Anil Sharma said the term of existing panchayats will be ending in November-December 2023 and there are rumors that the government may dissolve the existing panchayats and prepone the elections to the grassroots level bodies. "This (preponing of panchayat elections) is not acceptable to us and we will oppose it," Sharma told reporters here. The SEC released the schedule for revision of panchayat electoral rolls on December 12, leading to speculations that the government is planning to prepone the panchayat elections. As per the schedule, January 1, 2023 has been fixed as

SSB enrollment in J&K back on track amid new measures for fair selection

Hit by scandals in the recent past, the recruitment process in Jammu and Kashmir is back on track with the Services Selection Board introducing new measures, including third-party audits and low-frequency jammers to ensure transparency and fairness. In July, the Jammu and Kashmir administration headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha cancelled the exams conducted for the posts of police sub-inspectors, junior engineers and finance account assistants (FAA), following allegations of paper leak and other malpractices. The CBI, which is investigating the sub-inspector recruitment scam after registering a case on August 3 on a reference from the J&K administration, has already filed a charge sheet on November 12 against 24 people, including a BSF commandant, arrested for alleged involvement in the scam. "After a hiatus of several months, we started conducting the written examination after putting in place several new measures to strengthen transparency and accountability for fair ...

2 civilians killed, 1 injured as Army sentry opens fire in J-K's Rajouri

Two civilians were killed and one person was injured when an Army sentry allegedly opened fire on them in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday morning, officials said. The victims, who were reportedly working as porters with the Army, were approaching the alpha gate of an Army camp in the district around 6.15 am when they were fired upon, they said. The officials said Shalinder Kumar and Kamal Kishore, both residents of Rajouri, died in the firing, while another person was injured. The cause of the firing is not yet known, they said, adding that the situation in the area is tense and some agitated people pelted stones at the camp. Reinforcements have been rushed in and further details are awaited, the officials said.

J-K govt sets up panel to frame export promotion policy for agri products

The Jammu and Kashmir administration Thursday constituted an expert committee to frame a comprehensive export promotion policy to identify agricultural commodities in the Union Territory that can be exported. The main objective of the policy is to increase annual agricultural exports from Rs 190 crore currently to Rs 3,000 crore over the next five years, a senior officer said. "The primary assignment of the committee would be to develop commodity-specific export promotion recommendations which shall include strategic and operational aspects of the export and shall provide all necessary technical inputs to the agriculture production department within one month for finalization and implementation on the ground," he said. The policy would promote the brand "Jammu and Kashmir" for its pristine agro-climatic conditions, uniqueness and near-organic quality, the officer said. It would aim to bring a paradigm shift in the approach from mere harvesting and selling of produce at the local le